Medicinal Properties of Kachnar Flower by a Tharu Schedule Tribe

Video uploaded by Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Kachnar is a medium sized tree that reaches a height of fifty to sixty feet.It is indigenous to India, Pakistan and Southern China, in reality to Southeast Asia. Kachnar flowers alongwith buds of kachnar can be cooked for the meal and may even be  consumed in the form of medicines. It has a number of advantages for the health, like the treatment of various ailments and illness. Yogendra Prasad (Mahto) , a Tharu schedule tribe of Tharuhat of West Champaran Bihar India has grown many medicinal plants and trees in his garden (Bari) and claims to have knowledge of medicinal properties of all such plants.  Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha got the opportunity to know from him about the medicinal properties of kachnar grown in the bari  of his village Bakhari  Baazar  and hence  this video  with the help of Dr Kumar Anubhav for the benefit of the viewers.

Bridge of "Development or Destruction" in Tharuhat of West Champaran Bihar

Video uploaded by Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

This video clip captures already constructed bridge on Singha river in the backdrop of Someshwar mountain on one side and slightly visible Bakhari Baazar village on the other, on Ramnagar-Gobardhana road in Tharuhat of West Champaran Bihar India along  Indo-Nepal border on 13th June 2017. It is part of the ambitious project  to construct road along the Indo-Nepal border to enhance surveillance  and security in this area with full budgetary support of Central government and State government.The 552.3 km  long road will run parallel to East-West corridor costing around Rs 3,600 crores. This road  will be spread over West Champaran including Tharuhat, East Champaran, Sitamadhi, Madhubani, Araria and Kisanganj connecting Gorakhpur on one side and Siliguri on the other. It is also claimed that it will not only improve security of the area by connecting various check posts of Sashatra Seema Bal (SSB) but also improve road connectivity for common man. The Tharu schedule tribe of Tharuhat West Champaran who have been exploited and oppressed for ages are little bit apprehensive about this border road running through Tharuhat. They say that the area will not only be prone to criminal activities but with free and fast movement of bajis (non-tharus) the culture, social life and distinct identity of this simple tribal people will be in danger.  

Jarda Mango : Unique Mango with Amazing Aroma & Taste Grown only in Champaran Bihar India

Jarda Mango : Unique Mango with Amazing Aroma & Taste 

Grown only in Champaran Bihar India

(All the images are subject to IPR)

The name of Jarda Mango (Aam) is derived from the aromatic paan masala. Jarda Mangoes are hugely famous for its unique aroma and taste. It is grown specially in Champaran of Bihar India. This mango is the specialty of Champaran only and it gets its  special aroma in the special soil of Champaran only.

Many attempts have been made to grow this mango outside Champaran but in vain. The special aroma and taste of Jarda Mango of Champaran cannot be found in the Jarda Mango grown outside Champaran.

So the Jarda Mango with its amazing aroma and taste is the product of Champaran only. If Jarda Mnago is kept in a room , the whole room will be filled with its special fragrance.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

From the Eyes of Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha : Ramnagar Sugar Mill from Newly Constructed Flyover

From the Eyes of Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha : 

Ramnagar Sugar Mill from Newly Constructed Flyover

[All the images (taken on 13th June 2017)  are subject to IPR)

Harinagar (West Champaran) Railway Station from Newly Constructed Flyover
Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Ramnagar Sugar Mill from Flyover
Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr  Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Ramnagar Sugar Mill from Flyover
Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Historic Kaalibagh Temple of Historic Bettiah West Champaran Bihar

Historic Kaalibagh Temple of Historic Bettiah 

West Champaran Bihar

( All the images are subject to IPR)

Champaran is a historic place of Bihar. Nation is celebrating 100 years of Champaran Satyagraha (1917) of Mahatma Gandhi 

Kaalibagh temple has been witness to Champaran Satyagraha as it was built 400 years ago around 1614 AD by the royal family of Bettiah, Maharaj Harishchandra Singh.

Main deity of the temple is Goddess Kali but Mahakali is centre of attraction for the devotees.

The Kaalibagh temple is supposed to be pride of Bettiah, one of the most magnificent and diversified temples of Bihar.

The temple complex has many statues of different deities. And has two divisions - Deva Paksha and Devi Paksha. The Deities of former are worshipped by tantric methods.

The temple is spread over 10 acres, in which 4 acres is temple complex and in the remaining 6 acres there is a garden surrounding it.

The beauty of the temple complex is all the more enhanced with the presence of a large pond in the middle.  

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha in the sacred complex of  the historic Kaalibagh Temple Bettiah
Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

It is surprising that such a splendid temple complex of Bettiah which should have been the pride, emblem and symbol of Bettiah West Champaran, a pleasing place of tourist attraction, remains totally neglected. Even beautiful pond in the temple complex urgently calls for proper cleaning, approach road to the temple needs to be made smooth comfortable and encroachment-free, and most importantly this majestic and breathtaking temple complex requires aggressive publicity apart from social media.   

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13 Consecutive Win for Indian-American in Scripps National Spelling Bee

13 Consecutive Win for Indian-American in Spelling Bee

Indian-American has continued to win the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee for the record 13th year in a row.

Image courtesy:beacontn.org

This Year Ananya Vinay ,  a 12 year old Indian American girl has won the Spelling Bee. More than 11 million youngsters had entered the competition this time. 

Ananya took home $ 40,000 cash prize after correctly spelling 'marocain' to become the 13th consecutive winner from the community. She won the spelling competition after competing for 12 hours and spelled 35 words correctly. Her rival , Rohan Rajeev, 14 year old Indian-American misspelled Scandinavian  derived word 'marram' which means a beach grass.

Image courtesy:theringer.com

Ananya is the 13th consecutive Indian-American to win Scripps National Spelling Bee and the 18th of the past  22 winners with Indian heritage. This competition began in 1999 with the victory of Nupur Lala.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is an annual spelling bee held in the United States. The bee is run on not-for-profit basis by E.W. Scripps Company. Contest participants can not be older than fourteen.  

Indian Immigrant's Son Now Ireland's Prime Minister

Indian Immigrant's Son Now Ireland's Prime Minister

Indo-Irish relations are the bilateral ties between India and Ireland. The two countries had a similar fight against a common adversary as former part of British Empire. Many of the provisions of Constitution of India were taken from their Irish counterpart. Indo-Irish relations were also strengthened by the great personalities such as Rabindra Nath Tagore, Jawahar Lal Nehru, W B Yeats, Sister Nivedita, Annie Besant, James Joyce.

Today the relation between India and Ireland has  reached to the highest level after son of an Indian immigrant  becoming Prime Minister of Ireland.

Governing Fine Gael party of Ireland has elected Leo Varadkar as its new leader, choosing the gay, 38 year old son of an Indian immigrant to succeed Enda Kenny as Prime Minister. Leo was born on 18th January 1979 in Castleknock,  Republic of Ireland

Leo Varadkar
Image Courtesy : irishtimes.com

This is a striking sign of rapid social change of the country. Leo will become the once staunchly Catholic country's first openly gay premier,  the youngest person ever to hold the office and also the first from an ethnic minority background.

Image courtesy:cnn.com 

Leo Varadkar's father Ashok, like his son, is a doctor and was born in Mumbai. He met his wife Miriam, an Irish nurse, in England in the 1970s before moving to Ireland where Varadkar was born. Dr Ashok hails from a family of nine siblings native to Varad region near Malwan along the Konkan coast India.